


Once Upon a Time

by RandySexKitten



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: M/M, Mental Health Issues, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-23
Updated: 2012-12-23
Packaged: 2017-11-22 04:04:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/605624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RandySexKitten/pseuds/RandySexKitten
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A story for Darkhavens, who wanted something dark and romantic where the boys are together and happy. This did not turn out the way I planned…</p>
            </blockquote>





	Once Upon a Time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [darkhavens](https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkhavens/gifts).



“A long time ago, in a kingdom far, far away…”

“Is there a princess in this story?”

“No, there is no princess in this story. Now do you want to hear this or not?”

“Oh yes! I want to hear about the beautiful dark prince that stole the princess’s love.”

“That’s not how the story goes, Dru. The princess wasn’t there at all, now are you going to be quiet or not?”

“I’ll be good. I promise.”

“Once upon a time…”

* * *

Xander glanced up as Spike entered the room. The vampire was driving him nuts. The basement of doom wasn’t fun under the best of circumstances, but with a snarky, pissed off vampire, it was positively dismal. 

“Spike, knock it off. It’s not like the rest of us didn’t get it as well! I’ve spent the week cleaning demon goo off of the floor and walls!”

Spike glared at Xander, not really caring what the boy thought. “Yeah, because this place was so clean to begin with. At least you didn’t have to snog the Slayer! I still can taste the bloody bint!” He flung himself into the barcolounger, gnawing on his bottom lip.

Xander sighed and flopped down onto the bed. “I am so fucking tired.”

Spike sniffed and growled. “Well, you aren’t going to have any time to rest tonight. Here comes demon girl.”

Xander groaned and shook his head. “No, no, no… I need a break.”

Spike rolled his eyes. “Like you’re the one who gets kicked out until all hours of the morning.”

“Shut up, Spike!” Xander hissed as he looked around the room. Anya had been driving him nuts since Willow’s ‘My Will Be Done’ spell. There was something about the ex-demon that was simply grating on his nerves. Great sex aside, he really didn’t like her.

Spike watched Xander with a thoughtful look on his face. “What are you doing?”

“Trying to think of a way to get rid of Anya!”

An evil look crossed Xander’s face and he moved towards the vampire. Spike fell out of the barcolounger in an effort to get away. A knock sounded at the basement door and Anya began yelling. 

“Xander! It’s me! Anya! Come let me in, I need orgasms!”

“Whatever you are thinking, no,” Spike growled quietly as Xander got closer and began tugging at the blonde’s shoes. “What the hell are you doing?” Xander had gotten Spike’s Docs off and was now scrabbling at the vampire’s shirts. 

“Shut up and take off your clothes. C’mon! I tried to break up with her at least ten times in the last week! Maybe if she finds me in bed with you, she’ll go away!” 

Xander looked so desperate that Spike pulled off his red over shirt and tugged his black T over his head. The banging on the door got louder and Xander shoved Spike toward the bed and scrambled on behind him. 

Spike popped open the top button of his jeans and did the same to Xander’s before pulling the unresisting boy into his arms. “This is not a good plan, Whelp.” Xander shrugged. Desperate times called for desperate measures. Spike looked up at the door and yelled, “Oh yeah! Right there, Xan!”

As the door burst open, Xander pulled Spike’s mouth to his. The kiss started out hard and uncomfortable. Xander had never kissed a man before and really didn’t want to be doing it now. 

Then the kiss changed, became so much more. 

Spike tasted of scotch and smoke. 

Xander felt that he had never tasted anything so sweet. He moaned into Spike’s mouth and the blond brought his agile tongue into play. It danced across Xander’s parted lips and darted in to tangle with Xander’s.

Xander wanted nothing more than to stay in Spike’s embrace for the rest of his life. He thought that it must be a thrall; there was no way that he could feel so much for this vampire in the space of a single kiss.

Spike was lost in the warmth of Xander’s mouth. It had only been a week since he last kissed a human, but Buffy’s cool affection was nothing like Xander’s animalistic heat. Spike had been shocked when the boy kissed him, but understood the reasoning behind it. Now, all he could think about was keeping the boy forever. Making Xander his. 

Both men forgot what had precluded their kiss until a screech brought them back. 

“Xander! What are you doing with Spike?” Anya rushed over to the bed and shoved Spike as hard as she could. Spike toppled from the bed, landing on the floor and backing away from the furious female. “He is mine! What are you thinking, kissing him?” 

Xander, shocked that the intoxicating contact with Spike had suddenly disappeared, looked up to find Anya glaring at Spike. He had never seen Anya so angry. He suddenly understood why she had made such a gifted vengeance demon. With grace born of anger, Anya grabbed a stake from her pocket and ran at Spike. 

Xander was still kneeling in the center of the bed, stunned at the events of the last few moments. “Ahn, no!” All he could think of was that he had to save Spike. He dove from his position on the bed and grabbed Anya around the waist, dragging her bodily to the floor.

Both men winced at the sound of her skull connecting with the solid concrete of the floor. Xander released his hold on her and scurried back on this hands and feet, watching her the whole while.

Spike knew the moment that it happened. The sickening crack of Anya’s skull shattering as it impacted on the concrete floor spelled her doom. Her heart stopped just a half a beat later. Spike looked over at Xander who was now huddled in a corner, staring at his girlfriend’s corpse, rocking and muttering to himself.

Spike crawled across the floor towards the boy, taking a moment to cover Anya’s body with a sheet. He stopped a hair’s breadth away from Xander and leaned in to make eye contact. “Whelp, you ok? Hey, look at me.”

There was no sign that Xander even heard him. Spike could hear the boy’s parents moving around above them and knew that it was almost time for the nightly ritual of child abuse. He listened more closely and decided that he had about ten minutes before Xander’s dad came down to lash out at his only child.

Spike left the boy and picked up Anya’s body. He carried her into the bathroom and put her in the tub. He considered covering her body in cold water; it would keep the smell from permeating the basement too quickly. Spike cocked his head and listened to the noises from above, deciding that he had enough time. He turned on the cold water and looked around for something to hold her down.

After covering the body in icy water, weighing it down with Xander’s laundry basket, Spike moved back into the basement, locking the bathroom door behind him.

He quickly dressed himself and then moved over to pull some clothes on the boy. Xander was unresponsive but allowed the vampire to dress him. Spike pulled Xander to his feet and walked him over to the door. “Wait right here. I’m gonna grab some stuff.” 

There was no response from Xander.

Spike grabbed a bag from the closet and began shoving clothes into it, making sure to avoid the loud shirts that the boy liked so much. He didn’t take time to stop and think about what he was doing, or why he was doing it. All Spike knew was that the boy was broken. He had murdered his girlfriend, no matter how unintentionally, and Spike needed to get him the hell out of Dodge. 

Moving to the tiny refrigerator, Spike threw what was left of his blood into the bag and then took a quick look around the apartment. He knew that Xander had some treasures hidden in the bottom of his closet. Hidden from his parents, but Spike also knew that they would just slow them down. He made sure that the boy’s box was shoved all the way to the back of the closet, then turned to leave.

Xander was standing in the same place that Spike had put him, staring blankly at the wall. “Come on, Xander, let’s go.”

A twitch at the sound of his name. 

“Yeah, that’s it, Xan. Let’s go.” Spike led Xander up the stairs, hearing the door to the basement open on the other side of the room. He pulled the boy out the door before his father could see them.

“What am I going to do with you, Xander? Not going to the pouf, don’t know where else to go.” Spike muttered to himself and he dragged Xander down the street, searching for a car.

Knowing that he needed to get himself and Xander out of town, he looked for a car that had decent gas mileage. He had no money to fill up, so whatever they found, would have to last. He came across a late model sedan a few streets over from Xander’s and broke into it, quickly starting the engine. 

Spike let out a whoop of pleasure at the full tank of gas before hopping out and putting Xander into the passenger’s seat. He tossed the bag into the back and slammed the car into gear, heading for the city limits.

* * *

Five days later they were holed up in a barn out in the middle of nowhere. Spike had stolen a second car, then a third and a fourth when each had run out of gas, but daylight had forced them into hiding once again.

Spike bundled Xander up in a blanket that he had found and tipped a bowl of water up, encouraging the boy to drink. “That’s it, sweets, just like that. Good boy.”

Xander hadn’t eaten since they left Sunnydale and Spike was beginning to get worried. He was able to get liquids down the boy, but nothing else. Xander would squirm when he had to urinate and would simply stand there while Spike pulled down his pants and held his member. He didn’t respond to his name at all now, and Spike could tell that Xander was losing weight. 

Spike was scared. 

His thoughts stayed with Xander, even in sleep. He kept replaying the kiss in his mind, remembering Xander’s eagerness and his heat. Spike thought about the look of pure fury on the boy’s face when he toppled Anya to the ground. Xander killed for him. He may not have meant to kill Anya, but he had, and he had done it in defense of Spike.

Every time he got annoyed that the boy couldn’t piss by himself or wouldn’t eat anything, Spike remembered that Xander killed. For him. It really meant something to Spike. No one had ever cared enough to protect him before.

He was taught early on that the only people who mattered were family. Angelus had drilled it into young William’s head until he honestly believed that killing for someone was a sign of affection. Angelus had taught him that vampires killed indiscriminately, without purpose, unless it was in defense of a mate. 

He wasn’t an idiot, though. He knew that Xander didn’t think of him like that, regardless of the kiss. Xander was a white hat. He would have defended anyone that was under attack. The demon didn’t care about that fact, though, and chose to view the murder as a sign that Xander wanted to belong to him.

Spike sighed and hung his head. He was tired, and Xander was still unresponsive. Spike had done everything he could think to do to snap the boy out of it. Had even chanced setting the chip off by slapping him, but nothing.

He maneuvered Xander onto his side and curled up next to him, pressing a kiss to the back of the boy’s neck. “Oh, Xander, where are you? How can I tell you what that meant to me? How can I tell you that my demon considers you its mate? How can I?” Spike muffled a sob in Xander’s neck, mourning for the innocent young man that he knew he would never see again.

* * *

A few months later found them on the other side of the ocean. Spike wasn’t sure where they were, he only knew that the town had a friendly butcher who would not only sell him blood, but also the bones that he needed to crack and boil to make broth for Xander. 

“Hello, love! I’m back. Hope you weren’t worried. I brought some more books for you to look at.” Spike spoke to Xander as he moved around their small cabin, relighting the fire and the candles that had blown out in his absence. 

“You should have stoked the fire, Xander. It’s bloody cold in here!” He looked over at his boy, who was sitting on the couch, staring off into the distance. “Hungry, pet?” Spike wasn’t surprised when he received no answer, and set about preparing Xander’s meal.

As he broke the bones, allowing the sweet marrow to seep into the seasoned water, Spike wondered at his life. Xander was gone. He knew that now. Nothing would bring the boy back. But Spike wasn’t able to let him go. He didn’t know why, he would be better off without a catatonic pet, but he cared too much for Xander to be without him.

Once the pot began boiling, Spike slid into game face and bit into his wrist, allowing his blood to drip into Xander’s broth. He knew that it was useless; nothing would bring the boy back. Xander was dangerously thin, but a daily intake of Spike’s blood was keeping him healthy and strong. Spike shook his head and began feeding the boy, a precious spoonful at a time, ever patient. 

This was Spike’s favorite time of day. After Xander finished eating he would move on his own. This was the only time he would. He would walk over to the bed, pull back the covers and sit there until Spike joined him. Once Spike was on the bed, Xander would lie down and move around until he was comfortably wrapped around the vampire.

This happened every day without fail. It had started on their trip across the ocean. Xander had begun responding to Spike’s touch and wouldn’t sleep without the vampire. 

Spike smiled gently when Xander rose and walked to the bed. He stood and stretched, rinsing out the bowl and putting it to the side for the morning.

He stripped out of his clothes and climbed into the bed, waiting for Xander to curl up around him. As always, his head chose to play their kiss, the kiss, over and over in his mind. 

Something was different this night, though. Xander didn’t curl up at his side. The larger man crawled on top of him, holding him down and Spike could swear that he could see something in Xander’s eyes. 

“Xan? You there?”

Xander looked as though he wanted to say something and Spike almost screamed in triumph. He could see the boy, barely breaking through the muddled pools, looking at him from what seemed to be miles away. 

Spike lay still beneath Xander, hoping that this meant the boy was getting better. That maybe he was returning from wherever he had disappeared to. 

Xander was confused. He didn’t know where he was or what he was doing there. But something seemed familiar. He was lying on top of something, someone, cool and hard with beautiful blue eyes that looked up at him with… love?

Xander knew this person, he knew him. He was… “S..sp..pike?” His voice was rough with disuse, and Xander wasn’t sure if he’d actually spoken or not.

Spike’s eyes widened and he wrapped his arms around his boy. “Yes, Xander, yes! I’m Spike. Oh, Xan!”

Xander looked confused and Spike wondered what was going through his beautiful boy’s mind. Then Xander’s elbows buckled and Spike found himself face to face with his love. Xander’s eyes cleared a bit more and Spike felt the long remembered sensation of Xander’s warm mouth against his own.

The kiss was soft and sweet. Nothing like their first. Xander wasn’t entirely sure what to do with the body underneath his; he just knew that he wanted.

Spike felt Xander’s cock harden against his and moaned, opening his mouth and allowing Xander’s tongue to slip in. Xander probed Spike’s mouth, his body sending him messages of desire and want. 

Spike moved deeper into the kiss. He could feel Xander, there in his mouth, possessing him through touch. The demon soared and roared out its pleasure in its mate’s awakening. 

The kiss ended abruptly and Spike watched as Xander reached up and caressed his own lips. “A kiss, Xander, just a kiss.”

Xander smiled and wiggled around on the bed, wrapping his long frame around the vampire.

* * *

“No, not until you say it.” Spike watched as Xander struggled to wrap his mouth around the words in his head.

“P..please, more.” Xander smile triumphantly at Spike and was rewarded with a kiss. 

“Course you can have more, love. Let me get it.” Spike ladled more broth out of the pot and brought the bowl to Xander. 

Xander looked into the bowl eagerly, then frowned at Spike. “Meat.”

“The meat is on the table.” Xander looked around, finally spotting the plate of shredded beef that Spike had prepared for him. He maneuvered his spoon to pick up a piece of meat, then immersed it in the broth like Spike had taught him.

“That’s my good boy.” Spike sat across from Xander, watching him closely.

Xander had improved in leaps and bounds over the past month. As soon as he remembered that he could speak, the world seemed to open up for him. Xander spent a lot of time at Spike’s side, pointing at things, silently asking for long forgotten names. 

Spike was surprised, though, when Xander had pointed to a female on the road and asked, “Anya?”

He had replied quietly, “No, not Anya.”

Xander had given an excellent interpretation of a growl and nodded. “Anya dead. Killed. Hurt Spike.”

Xander remembered. He remembered more every day. The first thing he remembered is that he had hated Spike. He searched himself for these feelings, but couldn’t feel anything negative for the vampire at all. The vampire inspired many feelings, the main ones being love, safety, warmth, home…then he remembered Anya and hate returned. Anya had tried to kill Spike, and Xander had stopped her. He didn’t regret it. 

When Xander was finished eating, Spike pointed at the sink and Xander shuffled over to rinse out his bowl. He returned to the table and climbed into Spike’s lap. “Kiss.”

Spike happily obliged, warming his cool lips against his boy’s warm ones. Their tongues dueled and Xander sighed happily, pulling back and snuggling down into Spike’s neck. “XanSpikes.”

Spike held Xander close and whispered in his ear. “Yeah, Xan. You’re mine.”

* * *

A knock at the door startled Xander awake. He looked around for Spike, before remembering that the blond had said something about a game, and winning some money. Xander climbed out of bed and walked to the door, peering through the cracks in the wood. He gasped.

Drusilla was standing on the front porch, wearing a dress made of layer upon layer of white lace. She held a headless doll in her arms, dressed identically to her. Her hair was in perfect, fat ringlets that bounced as she turned to look at the door.

Xander stepped back as Drusilla approached the doorway. He knew it was useless, but he couldn’t help himself. He saw a dark eye peer through the crack at him. “Hello, my dark kitten! Oh, you look very good. My Spike has done a good job!”

Xander felt a flush of possessiveness. “My Spike!”

Dru laughed gaily. “Yes, yours. The stars told me that you would take him. You will make him a man again.” Drusilla began to sing and dance around. Xander crept closer and placed his eye along a crack. 

“Not let in, Dru.” Xander struggled to speak clearly.

“No, my kitten, don’t let me in. Spike will be home soon and he will talk to Mummy.”

Xander paced the cabin, wishing he were able to express himself better. How dare she! How dare Dru come back now, just when he and Spike were… doing whatever it was that they were doing. 

He knew Spike loved him. He could feel it when Spike looked at him and talked to him. When Spike let Xander hold him all night long. Spike was his!

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed since Sunnydale. He really wasn’t able to comprehend time yet. He knew the concept, but could not grasp it. But what he did know was that Spike had taken care of him when he wasn’t able to take care of himself. 

He could remember every soft word and touch that Spike had offered. Including the admission that the demon believed Xander to be its mate.

Xander knew that Spike was waiting for him to completely heal. He knew that he wasn’t fit to make a claim right now, but Spike belonged to him!

Xander growled and threw a chair against the wall. Drusilla’s laugher wafted into the room and Xander began to cry in frustration.

Strong, cool arms wrapped around him and Spike’s voice broke through. “Here, love, what’s wrong?”

Xander sniffled and looked up to find Spike crouched down next to him, Dru standing with her hand on his shoulder. Xander lashed out, knocking Drusilla’s hand away from Spike. “Mine!”

Spike looked over his shoulder at his sire, silently asking her to back up. She walked away, running her fingers over each surface she passed, singing under her breath. Spike turned back to Xander, stroking the man’s face, calming him.

“What’s the matter, pet?” Spike’s eyes drove into Xander’s soul and he could taste the love that Spike had for him. 

“Dru take my Spike.” Xander glared at the female who had wandered too close to Spike.

“No, Xander, Dru’s not here to take me. She’s here to help.”

“The stars…” Dru began.

“No!” Xander struggled to his feet. “No star. My Spike. Go way.” Xander reached out a hand and shoved Drusilla back, away from his mate. “Mine. My Spike. My mate. XanSpikes.” He moved closer to Drusilla, blocking Spike from her view.

Spike’s eyes widened as understanding crept in. Xander thought that Spike was leaving him and was willing to fight to be Spike’s mate.

“Dru, come back tomorrow.” Spike’s voice was low and even and Drusilla responded immediately, moving silently out the door, surprising Spike with her acquiescence. 

“Xander…”

“My mate!” Xander growled and shoved Spike back onto the bed. “My Spike. You’re mine!”

Xander began stripping Spike of his clothing, his fingers becoming more confident as each button slipped out. “Mine, all mine…” He continued this mantra under his breath as he finished disrobing Spike and began working on his own clothing.

When he had their skin bared, he rubbed his length along Spike’s and both men groaned at the contact. “My Spike. You’re mine. You told me. Said the demon claimed me that you wanted me, that you would take care of me forever, mine!” The last words were sobbed, and Spike rolled so that he was lying atop his boy.

“You are mine. I am yours. The demon accepted your claim when you killed for me.” Spike thrust hard against Xander’s body. “All yours.”

Words stopped and bodies began speaking an ages old story. Spike relaxed into Xander’s body, enjoying the warmth and security that he felt there. Xander touched and explored his lover.

Spike sighed and gasped as Xander’s fingers danced across his skin, learning his body and its responses. Xander moaned and thrashed as Spike probed him with cool finger, cooler tongue. 

Their union was joyous. Spike finding himself buried in Xander’s heat, thrusting deeper and deeper into his soul. Spike felt his face shift and willed the demon back, not wanting to hurt the boy, or himself. The demon roared its disapproval and fought angrily against Spike.

“Spike, Mine! Claim me! Want to be all yours, yours!” Xander’s moans became louder and Spike struggled to maintain some semblance of control. When Xander’s dull teeth bit into his flesh, he let the demon go. 

Fangs tore into warm skin and blood was spilled. Words formed, claiming the mortal as his own and uttering an oath of protection and love.

Cool blood drizzled down a warm throat and the words were returned eagerly. Sleep claimed the lovers and they surrendered peacefully.

* * *

Drusilla found them, still intimately connected. “Time to wake, my princes. Time for Mummy to fix things!” Spike growled sleepily but Xander was the first to wake. 

He glared at the red-clad vampire. “Mine!”

Dru reached down and caressed Xander’s face. “He always was, my kitten. He always was.”

* * *

The spell was ridiculously simple. A little sire’s blood, a few chanted words and the awful piece of metal and plastic was defeated. Dru’s blessing followed and she happily promised to leave them alone for their honeymoon.

A decade later, their Dark Princess joined them to celebrate Xander’s death. Spike formally claimed and turned his mate in front of his sire and grandsire, sealing his promise with blood and semen. Angelus shook bars of his cage, but Angel held him in check as he offered his witness and watched his grandchilde laid claim to the only surviving Scooby…

* * *

“And they lived happily ever after.”

I told you that there was a princess! She made the bad thing leave Spike! I told you there was a princess!”

“I know you did, Dru. Now go to sleep like a good girl.”

“I’m a good girl. Will you tell me another story tomorrow, my kitten?”

“Of course, Dru. Of course.”

The End


End file.
